Method for arranging a plurality of platelike elements from different supplies in a predetermined sequence



May 13, 1969 H. PUHM 3,443,706

METHOD FOR ARRANGING A PLURALITY OF PLATELIKE ELEMENTS FROM DIFFERENTSUPPLIES IN A PREDETERMINED SEQUENCE Original Filed March 25, 1964 Sheetof 2 FIG.

FIG. 4 5 8/ 82 I 82 INVENTOR.

HE LM U T P HM May 13, 1969 H. PUHM 3,443,706

METHOD FOR ARRANGING A PLURALITY OF PLATELIKE ELEMENTS FROM DIFFERENTSUPPLIES IN A PREDETERMINED SEQUENCE Original Filed March 23, 1964 SheetZ of 2 FIG. 5

HELM P HM BY a M S hf: 1130mm United States Patent 9 US. Cl. 214-152 1Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method of assembling the componentsof a storage batery namely, positive and negative plates and separators,consisting of taking the plates and separators from stacks of suchelements and collecting such elements in blocks. The elements arearranged in a predetermined sequence with separators in relativelyreverse positions. The method includes arranging the elements in atleast one vertical stack, holding the stacks in horizontally spacedpositions by alternatingly holding each of the stacks only at theunderside of the lowermost element. The stacks are held laterally onlyat the next to the bottommost element while permitting thelowermostelement to drop by gravity from the stack. The dropped elements aretransported and then collected.

This application is a division of my copending application Ser. No.353,788 filed Mar. 23, 1964, now Patent No. 3,294,259 issued on Dec. 27,1966.

This invention relates to an apparatus for taking plates and separatorsfor storage batteries from stacks and building them up in the form ofblocks. Each cell of the known lead-acid storage batteries comprise anumber of positively charged and negatively charged plates, which areseparated from each other by diaphragms of insulating material, such aswood, woven glass fabric, cellulose, sintered plastic or the like. Thesediaphragms are called separators. They must be highly porous so that theions can migrate without difficulty between the anodic and cathodeplates during the charging and discharging processes. On the other hand,the separators must prevent any equalization of potential between thepositive and negative plates. For this reason the separators must nothave any defective portions, such as relatively large pores, abradedportions, cracks or the like, through which an equalization of potentialcould take place. In order to minimize the internal resistance of thebatteries, which substantially influences the storage capacity of thebatteries, and in order to enable the accommodation of a maximum numberof pairs of plates in one cell, the separators must be as thin aspossible so that they are highly fragile.

In the usual and known method of introducing the separators between theplates, the desired number of positive and negative plates are firstconnected in parallel "ice by soldered connections at their top edge toform socalled positive and negative sets, which are then pushed one intothe other so that there is one positive plate between any two adjacentnegative plates. Then the separators are inserted between the positiveand negative plates by carefully bending the plates apart and theninserting the separators into the spaces between the plates. Thisoperation must be performed with great care so that the plates will notbe broken out. This work is timeconsuming and adds substantially to themanufacturing costs. The work depends also on the reliability of theworker because the lack of even a single separator will render a batteryuseless.

For these reasons, it has been attempted to place the separators betweenthe plates before the latter were soldered together. For this purpose apositive plate was taken from a stack of positive plates, a separatorfrom a stack of separators was placed on one plate, -a negative platewas taken from a stack of negative plates and placed on the separator,and this cycle was repeated so that a stack of positive and negativeplates which are insulated from each other is gradually built up. Whenall positive and negative plates as well as the separators required fora cell have been combined, the positive and negative plates aresubsequently connected by soldered connections.

Hence, in this process, the plates and insulators were stacked by handinto a block and the plates were subsequently soldered together. It hasbeen attempted to perform a similar proces mechanically in an automaticmanner. This involves the difliculty that individual plates must bemechanically withdrawn from a stack of plates and be combined in themanner described hereinbefore to form a block of plates. A solution tothis problem is described in the German patent specification No.1,082,950, according to which the lowermost plate and the lowermostseparator are pushed by meansa of flat slides, which must haveapproximately the thickness of the plate or separator, from a stack ofplates and a stack of separators, respectively, onto a platform, onwhich the block of plates is built up. This lowermost plate cannot bepushed out, however, if the entire weight of the stack of plates restson the lowermost plate. The plate has a rough surface and can bedisplaced only if the stack lying over the plate to be displaced islifted to relieve the lowermost plates. For this reason it has beenproposed to use for this purpose a plurality of jaws, which laterallygrip and lift the stack of plates which is disposed above the lowermostplates. Owing to the inevitably large tolerance of the dimensions of theplates, this gripping cannot be performed satisfactorily so that thestack of plates is not always reliably lifted. Besides, the displacementeven of the relieved plate results in the formation of a large amount ofhighly toxic dust of lead and oxides of lead. In addition, the knownapparatus has an extremely complicated design so that its operation isdifiicult and the apparatus is liable to be deranged.

From the US. patent specification No. 2,790,538 it is known to lift theforemost plate or separator from horizontal stacks thereof by means ofsuction cups and to place the plate or separator on a conveyor belt,which feeds the plates and separators in the desired order to collectingboxes. This known machine has an extremely complicated design so that itis expensive and highly 3 liable to be deranged. Besides, it isdiflicult to refill the horizontal stacks of plates with new plates.

It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for takingplates and separators for storage batteries from stacks and forcollecting the plates and separators in blocks, which apparatus avoidsthe disadvantages of known apparatus. A specific object of the inventionis to provide a machine which has a simple structure and is reliable inoperation so that the apparatus can be manufactured at low cost andoperated in a simple manner.

The essential feature of the apparatus according to the inventionresides in that the conveyor belt is disposed below magazines forholding stacked plates and separators, respectively, which magazines areclosed at the bottom by retractable claws, and that each plate magazineis provided at least on one side with a device for retaining the stackof plates, and, if desired, the stack of separators, from the secondplate or second separator, which retaining device is releasable inalternation with the claws. The plates and separators are vertically fedby a free fall from the magazines onto the conveyor belt so that thedifficulties which are involved in the horizontal displacement of platesor separators from the underside of a stack or in the lifting of thestack for relieving the lower plates are eliminated. Above all, damageto the plates and separators is avoided and the movement of the platescannot result in the formation of toxic lead dust.

In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention,each magazine has a wide side wall, which is adjoined on each side by anarrow side wall whereas the fourth side is open and a retaining deviceacting on the edges of the plates or separators is provided on thisfourth side. This retaining device consists, e.g., of a pivoted pressurelever, which carries preferably a plurality of superimposed, resilientgripping jaws. Further according to the invention, the retaining devicecomprises a claw, which is preferably resilient and which is associatedwith the last but one plate or the last but one separator of a stack andwhich is approximately as thick as a plate or a separator, respectively.

Finally, the invention proposes to provide claws at each of the narrowside walls and on the open side of each magazine and to form thatportion of each claw which is disposed outside the magazine as apneumatic cylinder, which co-acts with a stationary piston and is urgedby a spring into its operative position.

Details of the invention will be explained more fully with reference tothe drawing, which shows diagrammatically and by way of example anembodiment of an apparatus for taking plates and separators foraccumulators from stacks and for collecting these plates and separatorsin blocks.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing the essential parts of the apparatus.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view for holding plates or separators.

FIG. 3 shows a magazine after the release of a plate or separator in aview which is similar to that of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IVIV of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view showing a magazine.

In the apparatus which is shown by way of example, magazines aredisposed over a conveyor belt 11. These magazines include a magazine 1for holding negative plates, a magazine 2 for holding separators, amagazine 3 for holding positive plates, and a magazine 4 for holdingseparators in a reversed position relative to those in the magazine 2.

Each magazine has a wide side wall, which is adjoined on opposite sidesby two narrow side walls. The magazine is open on its fourth side sothat it has a U-shaped cross-section. This form of the magazine enablesa simple re-filling of plates or separators.

To support the stacked plates or separators, claws 8 are provided at thelower ends of the magazine 1 to 4 at the narrow side walls and on theopen side. The claws 8 are urged into their effective position bysprings 81 and may be retracted from their etfective position, e.g., bypneumatic pistons 82. In order to ensure that the stacks will beretained when the claws 8 have been retracted whereas the lowermostplate or the lowermost separator will then be released, each magazinehas associated with it on its open side a retaining device, which isrendered operative in alternation with the claws 8. In the embodimentwhich is shown by way of example, the retaining device comprises apivoted pressure lever 5, which carries preferably a plurality ofgripping jaws 6, which are disposed one over the other. Alternatively,the pressure lever may be moved toward and away from the plates by othermeans. The gripping jaws 6 are urged forwardly against the edges of theplates or separators by springs 61. For a more reliably retaining actionin view of the existing manufacturing tolerances of the plates andseparators, the last but one plate or the last but one separator of astack has associated with it a preferably resilient claw 7, whichbelongs to the retaining device and which is approximately as thick as aplate or a separator, respectively. As is ap parent from FIG. 3, thestack is properly retained in the magazine by the retaining devicewhereas the lowermost plate or the lowermost stack is released when theclaws 8 have been retracted. Hence, the plate or separator can fallvertically onto the conveyor belt 11 by gravity.

The operation of the retaining devices of all magazines and theretraction of the claws 8, respectively, is effected approximatelysimultaneously. As a result, one negative plate and one positive plateand two separators in corresponding positions arrive on the conveyorbelt 11 at the same time. This is shown in FIG. 1. The movement of theconveyor belt causes the plates and separators to be deposited in thedesired order in a collecting box 12. In the meantime, the forwarddisplacement of the claws 8 and the retracting of the retaining device5-7 has been repeated so'that the stacks of plates or separators arelowered onto the claws 8. When the plates and separators have beenplaced into the collecting box, the release of the now lowermost plateor separator of each stack onto the conveyor belt may be initiated.

The collecting box 12 is supported by springs so that it can be loweredand the plates can drop approximately through the same height from theconveyor belt. When receiving the first plate, the box is in its highestposition. As the further plates and separators are being collected,their weight compresses the underlying springs so that the collectingbox is pressed down.

For controlling the movement of the conveyor belt 11 and of theretaining device 5-7 and of the claws 8, a control wheel 13, e.g., maybe provided, with which a circuit breaker 14 is associated. The numberof cycles for collecting the number of plates and separators required inone block is determined by the control wheel 13. A circuit-closingswitch 15 is associated with the collecting box 12. When the block hasbeen removed from the collecting box 12, the same is lifted by itssupporting springs so that the circuit-closing switch 15 starts theapparatus for the formation of the next block.

The collected blocks are now fed to an apparatus in which the positiveand negative plates, respectively, are connected by solderedconnections. The blocks are then introduced into storage batteryhousings.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of arranging a plurality of positive and negative plates andseparators from different supplies in a predetermined sequence, whichcomprises arranging the positive and negative plates and separators fromeach of said supplies in respective vertical stacks wherein the stacksare arranged in a line with a stack of separators following both thestack of positive plates and the stack of negative plates, the stacks ofseparators being in relatively reverse positions, holding said stacks inhorizontally spaced positions and alternatingly supporting each of saidstacks only at the underside of the lowermost positive or negative plateor separator of the stack and subsequently only laterally at the secondpositive or negative plate or separator from the bottom so that all thelowermost positive or negative plate or separators simultaneously dropfrom said stacks onto a common carrier which is stationary,transportating the dropped positive and negative plates and separatorsby the common carrier to a collecting station whereby the positive andnegative plates and separators are added one at a time to a pile priorot the next simultaneous dropping of the new bottom layers of therespective stacks onto the carrier.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1903 Joecken 214-8.5 X 7/1951Berger 2146 X 6/1954 Donath 214-6 X 1/1956 Joa 2148.5 X 10/1959 Winkelet al 214-6 X U.S. Cl. X.R.

